CHAPTER IV. 



EVILS WHICH HAVE FOLLOWED THE EXTENSIVE 

 DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS IN EUROPE. 



Section A. — Scarcity of Timber and Firewood. 



Large timber is every year becoming more and more 

 scarce ; and had it not happened that iron is extensively 

 used instead of it the deficient supply would have been 

 felt painfully, In some of the extensive forests whence 

 supplies of timber are obtained^ large areas, embracing 

 most of those from which timber can easily be brought 

 out, have been cleared of trees yielding such timber as is 

 desired. This has now to be obtained from areas more 

 remote, and more difficult of access, and thus the expense 

 of bringing the timber to market has become greatly 

 increased ; prices have risen, and they have been prevented 

 from rising higher only through the extensive use of 

 iron in shipbuilding and other industries in which timber 

 was formerly employed. In many cases the increased 

 price is not sufficient to cover the increased expense of 

 bringing the timber to market. In Russia I was informed 

 that to such an extent was this the case that by some the 

 timber trade was continued only because they were 

 already in the trade with established connections, and 

 with skill and capital invested in the enterprise ; moreover, 

 wood-cutters were in debt to them, and these men having 

 to purchase from them their supplies they had thus a narrow 

 margin of profit which still made the prosecution of the 

 work remunerative, and a little — a very little more. And 

 the distance which such timber has to be brought from 

 the place of growth to the port of shipment is still pro- 

 gressively becoming greater and greater. 



As with timber, so is it with firewood in some countries in 



